


Shades of Blue

by anthysrevenge



Series: Shades of Blue [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Allegory, Horror, Multi, Mystery, Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:29:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27030469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anthysrevenge/pseuds/anthysrevenge
Summary: Sakura begins a new caregiver job and meets the mysterious Mickey Blackett. She works for his family, caring for his ill sister, Margot, who electrifies Sakura.
Series: Shades of Blue [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972735





	Shades of Blue

I was fired from my last job and it’s been hard to make rent. I’ve been considering moving back with my parents, but I couldn’t ask them of that.  
My roommate, Julie, slaps a newspaper down in front of me.  
“Look, right there, they’re asking for you.”  
I look at the page she has placed in front of me with curiosity, but she quickly swipes it back up and reads aloud.  
“Wanted: In-home caregiver. Woman. Preferably 20s.”  
“With brown eyes and black hair?”  
“Says it’s to care for a chick with some kind of serious illness. She prefers to work with women her age. Maybe they’ve had bad experiences?”  
“A 20-something needing in-home support?”  
“It’s not totally unheard of.”  
“I’m just curious.”  
Julie places the paper in front of me and taps her pen on the ad.  
“Number’s right there.”

I call that night and arrange to meet with the man who wrote the ad. He gives little detail other than his name: Mickey Blackett. 

I wait for Mickey in the coffee shop he suggests and fidget with the sugar packets on the table.  
“Sakura?” I hear my name from behind me and jump in my seat.  
“Hi,” I say, standing to greet the man.  
“I’m Mickey,” he flashes a smile and offers his hand.  
I shake his hand and we sit down.  
He tells me about his sister who is ill. She had, some time ago, suffered some kind of trauma. He explains that she is mostly nonverbal and only shows some basic emotions.  
“Sakura, I care about her more than anything. I’m the only one she shares a relationship with.”  
“You must be a good big brother to her.”  
He chuckles.  
“I try, but honestly, I don’t know.”  
“Why’s that?”  
“I mean, I made my girlfriend try to befriend Margot but they just don’t get along. I can hardly fathom why. Ivy’s a little stuck up sometimes but, she means well I swear.”  
I laugh.  
“That’s besides the point. I would just like someone to be able to be there for Margot when I’m not. I don’t want to keep failing her.”  
“You aren’t failing her. You’re doing everything you can to look out for her. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”  
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t blabber to you like that. But thank you, you’re right.”  
“Don’t apologize, it’s okay, Mr. Blackett.”  
He smiles.  
“Thank you. You’re very kind. Already so far you’ve shown me your empathy and optimism. I have a good feeling.”  
I thank him and he gives me a time and place to meet his sister. 

The following week, I end up in a house in an unfamiliar neighbourhood with Mickey. I follow him up the stairs.  
“This is Margot,” Mickey gestures towards a lady sitting at the end of the hallway. The figure smiles at something ahead of her. I step forward, peering into the room where she sits. Margot’s blonde hair is tied in a bun, with a strand on either side spilling down to her neck. She appears frail as though she would disappear if you so much as touched her, like a mirage or a ghost. Though, her porcelain features don't detract from her grace.  
Mickey and I walk down the corridor and as we enter the room, my eyes fix on a golden birdcage set in front of Margot.  
“And this is Annie.”  
He gestures towards the metallic cage. It’s embellishments of various gold flowers trail its perimeter. I scan the cage, searching for a fowl only to realize that the enclosure is empty.  
“But-” I start, when Mickey puts his finger to his lip. The navy haired man leans in to my ear.  
“She doesn’t know,” he whispers, “the bird flew away.”  
I look into his eyes noticing their hypnotic azure pigment. Mickey’s face, now close to mine, is striking somehow. His grin enhances his subtle features. I notice his resemblance to his sister.  
I jump out of my trance when Mickey begins to chuckle. I blush, smiling in an attempt to mask my startle.  
I glance to Margot who stares vacantly at the empty birdcage. 

Mickey and I thank each other at the door and confirm our next meeting.  
I realize I have left my coat in the house.  
“I forgot my coat,” I start, stepping forward as Mickey places his hand on my lower back. I freeze.  
“I’ll get it,” he says, and disappears.  
I notice my skin is hot as the man returns with my coat.  
“Thank you,” I say, retrieving my outerwear.  
“Sakura,” he says.  
“Yes?”  
“I care a lot about my sister.”  
“I understand. You seem very protective of her.”  
Mickey puts his hand on my shoulder.  
“As Margot is very ill,” he leans forward to meet my gaze, “I need to know the right person will take care of her.”  
I pause, studying Mickey’s face. Though appearing strong, the man in front of me seems wounded. I feel sorry for him and admire his dedication to his sister.  
“I promise I will do my best,” I say, his hand remaining on my shoulder as once again I am lost in his oceanic eyes.  
Mickey’s expression shifts into a smile.  
“I’m counting on you.”  
Just then, I hear a car pull up in the driveway. Mickey removes his hand from my shoulder and peers over at the door.  
“Farewell, Sakura. I’ll see you again.”  
Mickey smiles and opens the door for me. Ivy watches me from her car. Though they are hidden by large sunglasses, I can feel her eyes on me as I leave the property. She waits until I am out of her sight to exit her car. I turn my head back to the house to see Ivy and Mickey at the door, lips sealed deep in a kiss. 

I arrive at the house the following Monday for my first shift working for the Blackett family. Mickey had given me a key to the house. He has already left for work as scheduled as I enter the home. The house is quite large, especially considering it was originally just for Mickey and Ivy.  
I find Margot in the living room. There is a chair on either side of a round table. I sit in the vacant chair across from my client.  
“Hi Margot, I’m Sakura. I’m sorry I didn’t properly introduce myself the last time we met.”  
Margot looks at me and smiles. I smile back, relieved of her response.  
“Your brother told you only like a small breakfast because of your stomach, right?”  
“My brother,” Margot looks away.  
“Yeah, Mickey. He actually gave me some really thoughtful notes about you,” I say, recalling the detailed routines and expectations he set out for his sister.  
“I can tell he cares a lot about you,” I wink at Margot as she lifts her head.  
“How about some toast and an orange, then?”

I return to the room with breakfast as promised on a tray along with Margot’s medications. I set the tray on the table between us.  
“Do you know what pills you take?”  
She nods then, to my surprise, lists each of her prescriptions perfectly as Mickey recited to me. She then takes her morning pills with water and begins on her toast as I peel an orange. 

Margot sets down her toast as I finish peeling the fruit. She eyes it intently. I smile at my client and offer her a section of the orange. As she takes the fruit from me, her fingertips brush mine and I feel a jolt run through my body.  
My eyes widen in shock but I am unable to see what is in front of me. I try to speak but I am paralyzed by some sort of vision. I see the shadow of a man. I see Margot. She seems young, vibrant, healthy. She and the figure flirt and dance and kiss. He pulls back and in their embrace, reveals an intoxicating grin.  
Then, I see flashes of red and what I make out disturbs me. I see him hit her with an open palm. The man Margot loved turned around to harm her. He puts his arms around her, consuming her. Margot! I try to call out but I am still unable to free myself from the hold of this flashback.  
I see a blue bird in the golden birdcage. Mickey’s deep blue eyes appear then Ivy’s behind shades. I see Margot curled on the floor in the back room. Finally, I see the empty birdcage.  
The orange slice falls to the floor as I return to the present. Margot looks at me with wide eyes. I wonder if she saw that too. 

Mickey had mentioned when we first met that Margot had been in some sort of accident and that the trauma had triggered an onset of physical and mental health issues for her. I didn’t ask him for details as I didn’t want to upset him but I did wonder what circumstances could have caused her health decline.  
I look at Margot in front of me and ask myself how awful things could happen to such undeserving people. I wonder how Mickey feels. I’m sure he would have done anything he could to save his sister.

I work at the Blackett home for the next few with a key around my neck. I slowly get to know Margot and Mickey. There are no more unexplained instances of psychic phenomena and all seems relatively normal. Margot even talks to me more. 

Margot bathes after breakfast, insisting she goes on her own despite her brother’s instructions. I don’t press her. She shows me how she takes care of “Annie” every day. Though heartbreaking, it is sweet, in a way, that she tends to a bird that is no longer there. Perhaps even dead.

One day comes to an end and I read to Margot in the back birdcage room as I hear Mickey come home.  
“Wow, four o’clock already?” I check my watch.  
“Well Margot, I guess I’m dismissed.”  
Margot looks away.  
"Don't worry, Margot, I'll be back tomorrow."

I start down the stairs as I see Mickey hanging his jacket in the closet. I try to sneak past him but he swiftly turns and smiles at me.  
“How was she today?” he inquires.  
“Oh hi, sir. Today went really well.”  
“Please,” Mickey takes a step forward as he chuckles, “enough with the ‘sir’ stuff”  
I blush and laugh nervously.  
“Right. Mickey.”  
“Look, I don’t want you to think of me as your boss.”  
“Oh.”  
“How do I put this? I want you to be... an extension of our family. I want to put my trust in you. For Margot’s sake.”  
Mickey then grabs my hand and I can feel my heart racing. He reaches into his pocket with his other hand and places it in mine.  
“Here, so you don’t lose your key.”  
I open my palm to see a beautiful silver chain. There is sorrow in his voice as he explains. The chain in my hand was given to Margot by a family member but she has refused to wear it since the incident.  
“This way you can wear the key around your neck.”  
“Oh Mickey… I couldn’t”  
“Sakura, I insist.”

Mickey calls one Monday morning to tell me Margot had slipped in the shower trying to bathe herself over the weekend. He explained that it was crucial that I assist her. When I get to the home I noticed she seems more timid than usual. However, after breakfast she agrees to let me help her bathe.  
As she undresses I see a large bruise on her back.  
“Oh Margot…”  
“It’s nothing,” she says.  
“Don’t worry, okay. I’m here to make sure that doesn't happen again.”  
Margot looks at me with innocence. 

On Saturday night I got a phone call.  
“Sakura,” Mickey said my name in a strange tone.  
“Mickey, is everything okay?”  
He chuckles then pauses.  
“Can I be honest?”  
“Of course.”  
“It’s stupid. It’s about Ivy. I shouldn’t have even called.”  
“Huh? What about Ivy?”  
There is silence.  
“Mickey? Are you there?”  
“Actually, I’d rather talk in person”

I meet Mickey at the Blackett home at 8:30. Margot is sleeping, he tells me.  
“Where’s Ivy?”  
He offers me a seat on the sofa and explains that things had been tense recently and that she had gone out with friends.  
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I fiddle with the key around my neck. My client’s brother is sits next to me. I can feel his eyes on me.  
He explains that Ivy had been critical of his care for his sister. He tells me that she feels that she competes with Margot. Mickey says he does his best to be there for his girlfriend but blood will always come first in his heart. He stops.  
“Can I ask you something, Sakura?”  
“Yes.”  
“Why did you come tonight? No offense, just, don’t you have friends you’d rather be with on a Saturday night?”  
I look at him in awe of his question.  
“I guess I just didn’t have any plans.”  
“No?” he places his fingers on my hand which holds the key around my neck.  
“Sakura…” He whispers, leaning close to me.  
Our lips meet and my heart races. I kiss Mickey back, hard. Adrenaline pumps through my body then Mickey pulls away. I feel another set of eyes on me.  
“Mickey...”  
“We shouldn’t.”

I leave the Blackett home and proceed to work on Monday morning. I enter the house.  
Expecting Margot, my smile fades as I see Ivy standing in the kitchen.  
“I-Ivy…”  
She turns around, holding an apple and a knife in either hand.  
“Look, I don’t know what kind of arrangement you have with Mickey, but I’m telling you for your sake, it needs to end.”  
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just here to care for Margot.”  
Ivy slices into the apple and laughs.  
“Don’t play dumb, Sakura. I’m doing you a favour here, telling you to get out while you can. Mickey isn’t everything he seems.”  
I scoff, “I’m not as naive as you think.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah so please get a grip. I’m not a threat to your relationship with Mickey just like Margot isn’t. You could learn a thing or two about loyalty from him.”  
“That’s ironic,” she laughs, tossing the apple and knife in the sink.  
“Good luck Sakura. Have your fun. I just won't be around when it all goes to shit for you.” She exits the kitchen and leaves the house. I find Margot and carry on with my day. No wonder Margot doesn’t like Ivy. 

Mickey gets home earlier than usual. He looks as if he’s been crying.  
“Mickey? What’s wrong?”  
“Margot, would you please go to your room?”  
“Yes,” Margot gets up from the living room sofa and heads upstairs.  
“Mickey, what’s going on?”  
“I need you,” he says, leaning forward and kissing me.  
“Wait, wait.”  
He kisses me harder.  
“What about Ivy?”  
“Forget Ivy. It’s over.”  
Mickey begins to unbutton my shirt.  
“Wait…”  
He kisses me down my neck.  
“Mickey I-”  
He looks at me, electric blue eyes piercing me. He kisses me on the mouth again. I kiss him back.

I return to the Blackett home the following day. Margot is quiet with me as she was when we first met. After breakfast, she is hesitant to let me help her bathe.  
“Margot, just like yesterday okay?”  
She looks at me with a vacant expression. I look into her eyes and realize what she must know.  
“Margot I-”  
“Sakura.”  
She suddenly grabs my face and her lips meet mine. Electricity surges through my body as I am once again encapsulated by retrocognition. 

I see Margot, alone. She smiles at the birdcage, though it no longer appears to be a birdcage. It is instead a golden-brown cradle meant for a baby. I see Margot's hand resting on her stomach.  
A figure appears from behind the cradle. Ghostly pale skin, dark hair, and unmistakable eyes. 

I pull back from Margot, in horror. I back out of the room and leave the Blackett home sick to my stomach.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote a more conclusive ending and though I think that ending would take away from the vibe I'm going for, I still consider this unfinished work because I'm not 100% satisfied. Alas here it is. Thank you for reading if you did make it this far. Please leave a comment if you'd like to do so. Cheers.


End file.
